South Africa’s ”Bonnie and Clyde” prisoner Charmaine Phillips was released on parole from the Kroonstad Prison in the early hours of Friday. Correctional Services spokesperson Johan Massyn said Phillips left the prison shortly after midnight.
”In terms of her placement on parole Phillips will serve the reminder of her sentence outside of prison subject to the compliance with strict conditions,” he said.
Phillips’ parole comes two decades after she was given four life sentences and her boyfriend Piet Grundlingh was hanged in July 1985 for a series of murders and armed robberies in 1983. She was 19 at the time.
In a written statement issued after her release, Phillips apologised to the families of her victims and asked for forgiveness.
”I wish to apologise and ask for your forgiveness. I am sorry and regret the loss, grief and harm we afflicted apon [sic] you and your deceased loved ones,” she said.
Phillips said she hoped that her years of incarceration gave them some consolation.
”If not, I pray that God, through his grace and mercy will plant a seed of forgiveness in your hearts for us, so that you too may experience the wonder of God’s healing powers.”
She also apologised to her own family for the suffering and embarrassment her ”actions and decisions had caused”.
”My children, family and relatives, I regret and am sorry for the grief, suffering and embarrassment my actions have caused you. I pray you too will experience God’s healing powers.”
Phillips went on to thank correctional services officials for putting up with her negative attitude during her imprisonment.
”I wish to apologise for the years you suffered under my low-self esteem, negative attitude and slow progress. I thank you for your discipline, patience and guidance. An[d] especially to those of you who walked the extra mile, who took a keen interest in helping me rehumanise, my sincere thanks.”
Phillips thanked her fellow-inmates for their support and prayers and to her legal representatives she said: ”I thank you for your determination”.
She ended the statement by thanking the Justice Department for accepting her rehabilitation.
”I am filled with gratitude towards those of you who [had] the courage to make a concrete decision to accept my rehabilitation and have given me the opportunity to be re-integrated back into society,” Phillips said.
”The example I set for other offenders who follow, will do your decision justice.”
Massyn said Phillips had asked to be released ”in a quiet manner” and prison authorities agreed to this.
She would have to comply with stringent conditions that included having a support system when released and a fixed place of abode in order for correctional officials to monitor her compliance with such conditions, Massyn said. – Sapa